It’s much easier to reach for a distant bar when you know you’re working with a net below.The same logic applies to city leaders who have the option of seeking higher office during their elected terms, knowing their municipal job will make for a safe landing should their aspirations fail.

The latest such daredevil is Ward 13 Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart, who is back toiling for the constituents who elected her two years ago (actually, she was unopposed) just days after a stinging electoral rebuke in the provincial Calgary-Glenmore riding that left the Tory candidate a distant third.

This has some political watchers calling for reform to ensure city voters don’t see their interests take a back seat to the ambitions of their elected leaders.

“Personally, I think the honourable thing to do is to step down from the office and take the risk — put it all on the line,” said Chima Nkemdirim, one of the founders of the Better Calgary Campaign, a city hall watchdog.

“It’s a bit of an abuse of office that’s not even subtle.”

To be sure, Colley-Urquhart has been an able representative for her constituents since 2001 and she returned her city salary during the byelection while taking a leave of absence to campaign.

But giving up her safety net, er, council seat?

That could be dangerous.

So there is a potential political price to pay, but as Nkemdirim rightly points out, being an alderman in Calgary is one of the safest jobs around.